Ceremony or Service?

They call it a “briefing”, it’s a short overview on whatever the Subject Matter Expert is there pitching. I had a briefing today at the monthly Chaplain meeting. It’s a great group of people that provide so much for Service members and their families, from Spiritual comfort and advice to food if needed.

I got there at a break in the schedule so that I wouldn’t interrupt things and there was one presentation before the briefing. The Chaplain was going over Memorials, funerals we would call them. He talked about the difference between a Memorial Ceremony and a Memorial Service.

The Memorial Ceremony is just that, a ceremony. Everyone involved is required to be there, it is defined by the pomp and circumstance that only military can provide. The formations, the rituals, the dress, all are executed with planned and rehearsed precision. There can be some religious elements, but they are not really a big part of the Ceremony.

The Memorial Service is a voluntary function and will have a deeper emphasis on spiritual things. It is more of what we would experience in a civilian funeral.

This begs the question. Is church involvement a Memorial Ceremony or a Memorial Service. Is it just about being there because we are supposed to be there? Do we feel that it is requires our attendance, getting our card punched? Or am I there as a volunteer, because I want to be there?

I think that a lot of folks come every Sunday to a Memorial Ceremony, and as such they are pleased when the ceremony happens with the expected rituals and rhythms. I want so badly for them to come to a Memorial Service. To do so may require them to step out of the comfort zone, to become emotionally involved, to “dive in”. That can be scary, it’s hard to do, but the benefits are pretty amazing. Give it a try, forget the Ceremony and come the Service. (Yes, you still get your card punched!)